will islamic culture ever develop the maturity and tolerance to create and screen equivalents of these films:?

Question

monty pythons life of bryan....dir: terry jones

the devils.... dir: ken russel

the crucible....dir: nicholas hytner

[or will freedom of expression in relation to religious matters be suppressed in perpetuity?]

my, what a rational bunch of answers today! how very very weird and unusual for the philosophy section!

Answer 1

Of course it will - but it's going to take some time.
Much of the Islamic world missed out on the Renaissance and on a Reformation, due to historic and geographic accident.
But even now, there are vast differences in what various Islamic countries will allow. Indonesia and many of the North African countries are a lot more "liberal" than Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, for example.
Societies take time to evolve and eventually most and perhaps all Islamic countries will have more capacity for self-examination (The Crucible, The Devils) and for self-ridicule (The Life of Brian.)

Answer 2

Your examples are ironic because two of those films are about Christian immaturity and intolerance. Christianity seems to have largely gotten past the madness depicted in the Devils and the Crucible. IOk so may a few people burn Harry Potter books, but no one has been tried for witchcraft since the 1700s. Perhaps your question was intended to illustrate how Christianity got past that stuff as an example that Islam could do the same?

Answer 3

Actually, I would humbly suggest that your question is a political one, not a religious one.

There are movies in which various Christian churches in the U.S. have called for boycotts, but they didn't have the political power to suppress the film altogether. Had they that power (i.e. had there been no separation between church and state), I'm positive those films would have been suppressed here.

I'm guessing the "Islamic culture", as a whole, isn't as backwards as you may think. It's just that those in power represent the most conservative elements of the Islamic culture & impose their version of Islam upon their peoples through their governments.

And don't assume that censorship can't happen in the U.S.: it did happen here for many of the early years of the film industry. It would only take a shift in the culture to bring back the days of the Hays Code (although that might just have the effect of switching film distribution to subscription services that can't be Constitutionally touched, but you get my point.)

Answer 4

What little I know of Islamic Culture it is basically the same as Western Christian Culture, whatever will help the leaders get the peoples attention is banned or said to be a sin. After a time, it is allowed. Its all a $ game, as long as the little people pay the dues, the Leaders are happy. If there are no problems, the Leaders create problems so that attention is shifted away from the actuall occurances.

Answer 5

Different countries, not just Islamic cultures, forbid certain films and media in their countries. For example, in China they banned certain films that depicted the Chinese cultures in a bad light. In Singapore they rated "The DiVinci Code" as a NC-16 movie (here it was either a PG or PG-13 movie). And even in the USA there are talks about people censuring our internet (but I don't think that will ever happen). Also during the war, our own government-The United States of America banned certain media from releasing footage of soldiers in caskets, etc. If that isn't censurship, what is?

So to answer your question, I don't believe its a problem of 'maturity' or 'tolerance' --its a function of their own mainstream culture. We cannot use our culture to judge other cultures because these are all perceptions and not facts. They think those films are unaccpetable and we think they are acceptable; we think prostitution is unaccpetable, other countries think that is an acceptable profession.

Perception. Your opinion only, not fact.

Answer 6

Please stop trashing Islamic culture. Movies are not the measure of civilization. If it weren't for the Muslims, we wouldn't be so advanced as we are today and might not even have movies.
I agree that humor is important, but there are many kinds of humor.
I do certainly wish you well and I love Monty Python movies. Have you ever seen any movies by Almadóvar of Spain? They're are hilarious.

JohnSlat: It is because of the Muslims we had a Renaissance. Check your history.

Answer 7

like you, i repeat: What are you comparing Islamic way of existence with? Christian way of existence or Western way of existence? because those videos are a made up of a western way of existence that has distanced itself from faith in public existence almost totally. you do not make an equivalent evaluation. you're comparing faith (Islamic) on the single hand with secular society on the different. If a non secular christian society were to exist, those videos does not be made with the help of them both. you also bypass over the point about cultural massive difference and are being extremely ETHNOCENTRIC. in case you distance your self from faith and base this question on Asian or center eastern way of existence, you'll locate that many human beings try the limitations of paintings and way of existence, and prefer I say, it isn't a chance to study the made up of this with the West until eventually you fall into the capture of being ethnocentric, that may render your pastime invalid.

Answer 8

What are you comparing Islamic culture with? Christian culture or Western culture? Because these films are a product of a western culture that has distanced itself from religion in public life almost entirely. You are not making an equal comparison. You are comparing religion (Islamic) on the one hand with secular society on the other. If a devout christian society were to exist, these films would not be made by them either. You also miss the point about cultural difference and are being EXTREMELY ETHNOCENTRIC.


If you distance yourself from religion and base this question on Asian or middle eastern culture, you will find that many people test the boundaries of art and culture, and like I say, it is impossible to compare the product of this with the West unless you fall into the trap of being ethnocentric, which would render your task invalid.

Answer 9

This is one of the biggest questions of our generation. Islam is known as a bloddy, violent religion. The Koran is full of violence. Today's Muslims have taken their frustration and rage and used their religion to justify atrocities and manipulate their followers. Yet if you look at the Old Testament, it is also very violent.

I believe Islam today is at a stage that Christianity was at 800 years ago, during the Holy Crusades and the Spanish Inquistion. In those times, the same questions could be asked of the Roman church: would it ever let go of its bloody ways, and be more tolerant. Today's Western society, while steeped in monotheism, does not use it to excuse genocide or other atrocities. Western religion has its problems with tolerance and hate, yet Western society is pretty liberal and tolerant as a whole. Who could have imagined this, at a time when hundreds of heretics were burned at the stake and Jews and Muslims were driven out of Spain?

Liberal and progessive Muslims do exist, though it's hard to tell in today's environment. In order to Islam to become a religion of peace, Islam's moderates and liberals will have to be braver and more outspoken. They will also need to live in a world where they are not in danger of being beheaded for speaking their minds. The Western world must serve as an example, and must help moderates (like in Iran) instead of inflaming hatreds against the west. In the end, Islam must grow to become tolerant and peace-loving, or it will consume itself in blood.

Answer 10

Maturity and Tolerance from you prospective may be some thing
else from the Others' prospective. " I don't really know these movies and what they are about and weather it will be approved in the Muslim countries or not" But let's say that your civilization its own taboos as well
an Innocent Question: will the western culture ever develop and tolerance to create movies criticizing Zionism and showing the formation of Israel is an illegal invasion to Pales tin?? at least
can people who have this point of view demonstrate it in a movie??